Electrical feeler



Aug. 29, 1933. o. v. PAYNE ELECTRICAL FEELER Filed Nov. 14, 1930 IIHIIHIIIIIIIIIIIII;

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A WUR/VE V5 Patented Aug'. 29, 1933 41,924,197,A i ELECTRICAL rEELEn f kOscar V. Payne, Worcester, Mass.,l assignor to ,Crompton & Knowles LoomiWorks, Worcester Mass., a.' Corporation of Massachusetts Application November 14, 1930 serial No. 4953077 l,

i s claiming.V (criss-213)* The invention relates to improvements in electrical feelers for detecting the `condition of;` weft in looms, and it is the general object of the invention to provide a compact unit which can be readily clamped in positionl to cooperate with a bobbinlhaving a Vconducting surface that is uncovered as exhaustion approaches. 1

In the weaving of certain classes-of goods requiring fine wefts' it isk desirable to employipra loform of weft detector which will exert very little pressure on the iyarn during the time that i sufficient weft is present for continued weaving'. Also, where a vmetallic surface is used to assist in giving the electrical indication there is the possibility that a fine weft willbe pinched between' such a surface .and the contacting finger of the feeler, with resultant thread breakage.

With coarser yarns, it is notnecessary tojhave suche lightpressure as is necessaryY with fineryarns. It is a further object of my invention `to `provide a feeler of the type specified wherein the 'detecting ngers can have sliding contact with a guide bearing movable in such a; way as to vary the pressure exerted on the feeler ringe-fs. It is a further object of my inventionY to provide a feeler havinga case whichvis symmetriea'i about an axisperpendicular to thesurface being .detected to permit ,use ofthe feelerv with either side up and facilitate, manufacture.

. 'vention 'resides in the combination and arrangement -ofV parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a con? venientr embodiment of myv invention is set `forth', 1 L

Fig. l is a topplan-view of a feeler made'according to myinvention; the fingers `being shown as having Contact .with `a full supply; of weft at the beginning of the detecting'operation, :parts beingin section,

Fig.V 2A is avertical section on line 2;-2V of* With "these and other .objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, myin- Vfeeler.

front'elevation taken the ,ldirec trated herein as having a'f'ulhsllpplyof weft W. `As indicatedindotted,linesf'in Fig. 1 the bobbin hasa metallic surface 10 which mayfbe of any form` and isjnormally coveredlby a sufficient supply of weft.y 4During@the weaving op@ 6,91 eration, however, theweftuncovers the' metallic ,-g i

surface so that the latter'is exposedfor Contact with electric feeler fingers to be `des"c ribed herenaften' The bobbinandffshuttle of themselves form no part of the present` inventionv andmay f be made in any approved .,iorrn. l

InV carrying i my invention i Vide a Vcarrier 20 made of insulating material such,` 2 for instance,` as bakelite, and formi-fthe same with -a'relatively narrowrear portion 21 7.0.

and a widerv forward.w part 22. lThe vlatter vis provided vwith a" pair of openings 23 through which extend securingvbolts'24yto hold the 'care' rier to a supporting platform 25 which"A may be held to the` loom frame not shownin fixed posi# tion so that the carrier itself is Y rigidand"held against displacement-during theV operation of thefeeler. ,f `f

The carrierl has a pairof parallel-horizontal bores 26 extending from itsifront end almost `to the rear end thereof, a thin wall 27 definingthe z y end of each bore.. Leadingyrearwardly from each bore through the `wall isa small hole 28 to. receive" the vrear "endjof a `feeler fingeraor 85 wire 29; i t 1f.; .v A

Eachy feeler wire or fingerhasa shoulder 30 Vformed thereonlocated withinthe `corresponding bore adjacent thewall 27 to receive the rear-V ward thrust of'asmall. compression spring"31 located inthe bore. I Each spring surrounds the `forwardly extending part -of its `,feeler finger V'29 and,` has its forward end restrainedbyfengage'- ment with ascrew bearing 32; Eachbearinglhas a; hole. 33 drilled `therethrough to receive the forward end of thecorresponding finger, these parts being sofproportioned as to insure metallic` sliding contact duringqthe operation: of the The forwardendof each bore has"` aninternal thread 34 which receives `the rearwardly'extending threaded shank y35 'of the correspmding screw, whilev the forward end of eachscrew VY hasa head 36 whichperrnits tightening.:`

Electricalconnection between a iinger 29 and 10.5 rk

by means Aof `fa connectorf'l lying` under theV the external circuit not shown is accomplishe head `36,'and'extending away from the centerV of thecarrierto be held under a binding post orscrew 33..` The latter is threaded into the carrier and receives thefterminal 39 Vcarried 'by tojefiect pron 'i K fa wire 40. By means of the parts just described each screw and its sliding finger has electrical .or shuttles, or in loom stoppage. o

lWhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig-4 -the maximum pressure attainable is exerted on the 'ngera a condition which will assure good contact betweenthe ngers and the metallic part of the bobbin, and can safely ex- 1 ist with relatively coarse yarn. When finer yarns are' employed, however, it is desirable to relieve the pressure of the spring' and this can be done as indicated in Fig. 5 by placing a wash-- er 50 or similar device between ahead 36 and the adjacent connector 37. In thisway the rear threaded shank of, the Yscrew will be advanced soA as to permit lengthening of the space in which the spring lies. Whatever the longitudinal position of the screw maybe with respect to its bore thehfeelerufinger will be free toslide through the hole 33 and at the same time maintain `electric contact with-the screw.

fBy, referringtojFigs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that l,the carrier is so'formed that it may be mounted Von the platform 25 with either `side up vbecause of .the fact that itl is formed sym-I "metrically about -a central axis parallel to the fingers 29. The rearV part of the `v carrier is not only. reducedin width in a horizontal direcvbase.

tion as'indicated inFigf-l, but is also'of'less thickness in a vertical direction as indicated tiniig.'V 2 Athan is the forward "part thereof 4through which the securing bolts 24 pass. When provided a simple and compact form of electrical feeler complete in itself and readily supported on any convenient form lof platform or It will also be seen thatthe tension of the compression springs 31 may be varied at n will, and that whatever'the pressure I exerted by said springs maybe the feeler fingers Vare free vto slide through the holes 32v in the screws to' establish electrical contactY therewith. Thev .rear end of the feeler finger may have'bearing relation *with the carrier through either the shoulder 30A or the hole 28 or both, if desired.V

i Having thus described my invention it will be seen that rvchanges and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of thev invention and I do not wish to be limited to the Adetails herein disclosed, but ,what'I claim is: f

therein/each hole having the forwardV endthereof, threaded and having the rear end partly closed by a wall formed kas part of the body, a wire feeler in each hole, each feeler having a Vv.shoulder located in the corresponding hole, a

screw threaded in the forward end of each` hole,

.connector and the platform.v

each screw having a bore therethrough which is coaxial with the corresponding hole, and a spring located in each'holecach spring surrounding its corresponding wire finger and bearing kagainst the associated shoulderr and screw and' tending to' movethe wire finger rearwardly,each wire finger being slidably mounted through the bore ofthe screw to maintain 'electric Contact therewith, the body being symmetrical about an axis parallel to the holes and located midwayA therebetween. ,v y

2. In an electrical feeler for looms operating with a weft supply which uncovers a conducting and guiding relation with the corresponding 1 feeler wire, a connector interposed between each screw and the bodyv of insulating material, the

connectors extending from their respective'screws in a direction away from a point intermediate the screws, and means in addition to the screw to hold each connector in relatively fixed position against the body of insulating material out of Contact with the other connector, electrical connection between the feeler wires electrically connecting the connectors through the screws.

3. In an electricalfeeler for looms operating A with a weft supply which uncovers a conducting surface as weft exhaustionY approaches, a-supporting platform, a body of insulating material having substantially' parallel top and bottom flat faces and having'a pairVV of spaced parallel bores, a wire detector finger resiliently mounted yin each bore, a screw threaded into the 'forwardk end of each bore through which the corresponding wire detector slides, a connector held againstv the body of insulating materiallby each screw and extending'away from the other screw, the vertical dimension offthe connectors being less than the. distance between lthe parallel top and bottom faces of said body, and means Yto hold eachconnector out of contactwiththe other 4.v In an electrical feeler for looms operating with a weft supply which uncovers a conducting surface as weft exhaustion approaches, a supporting platform, a-body of Yinsulating lmaterial having substantially parallel top andbottom flat faces and having Va pair ofspacedparallel bores therethrough, a wire detector'fingerresiliently mounted in each bore, a screwthreade'd into the forward end of eachbore through Awhich the correspondingrwire detector'slides, .a connector held against the body of insulatingl material; by each screw'and extending awayfrom the other screw,-the vertical dimension ofrthe connectors being less than the distancebetween the -parallel top 'and bottomfaces ofV said body, and means to hold each connector out of contact with the other connector and-'the platform, the body of material being symmetrical about a line parallel j to the bores andlocated between the latter and Y said-body being reversibleso` that eitherof 'the flat surfaces can besupported by vthe'platform'.

5. In an electrical'feeler for looms operating withfa weft supply which uncovers a conducting surface as ,weft exhaustion approaches, a supporting platform, a lbody theentire surface and interior of which is formed f of insulatingmaterial, Asaid body having-substantially parallel top and bottom'flat faces'and having a paii1 of substantially parallel horizontalA boresgther'ein,

a screw threaded into each bore having a head to project forwardly from the bore, an electric detector wire slidably mounted through each screw and projecting rearwardly from'theV body, a spring in each bore to be operatively related to the corresponding feeler wire to hold thell'aty part relatively thick.with substantially parallel Vtop and bottom faces from which rearwardly projects a reduced thinner extension,apair of parallel holes extending longitudinally `through the thick and into the thin portion, anelectric detector wire extending `through each bore and extendingrrearwardly beyond said extension, a screw threaded into each hole` and'having a bore therethrough to receive` and slidingly engage the corresponding detector wire, a spring` in each hole to holdy the corresponding detector wire yieldingly in"v rearward position and projecting into apart of the body reduced thickness, means extending through the thicker forward part of the body to holdY the latter to the platform, the Vrearward extension lying between the planes of the top and bottom surfaces of the larger part yand said body being reversibleon the platform and being symmetrical about the line parallel v to the detectorv wires and'passing midway between the latter. Y'

7..In an electrical feeler for looms operating with a weft supply which uncovers a conducting surface as weft exhaustion approaches', a supi porting platform,` a body the entire exterior surf face and interior of which is formed of insulating material, a pair, of spaced detector wires insulated from each other by the material of"v which thebody is made to be electrically connected at indication of vweft exhaustion, a spring for each wire housed-completely within the body and yieldingly holding the corresponding wire "rearwardly, means extending through the' body out of contact with the detector wires to secure said body lto the platform, Vand supports for the forward ends of the wires lthreaded into the body and having bores through which the wires slide.l Y

8. In an electrical feeler for looms operating with a weft supply which uncoversfa vconducting surface as weft exhaustion approaches, a

body of; 'insulating material held infixed position, andhaving a bore therethrough, adetector wire extending through thefbore and beyond the. rear of the body tohave contact with the said conducting surface, a spring located within thehole and surrounding the vdetector wire and acting .to hold the latterV yieldingly in rear posiy tion, a connector to conductcurrent to anexternal circuit, and Aa screwthreaded intothe bore and engaging the forward endA of Vthe spring to stress the latter and having 'a 'bore `through-which the WireY slides andhavinga head to hold the connector tightly against the body.

. OSCAR v. PAYNE. 

